Lucknow: At KGMU, AI-based radar to help screen suspected patients

According to KGMU officials, the system will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for patient management.

King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow will take the help of an algorithm-based health radar system for screening of suspected coronavirus patients coming to them and for the treatment of positive patients. (File)

KING GEORGE’S Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow will take the help of an algorithm-based health radar system for screening of suspected coronavirus patients coming to them and for the treatment of positive patients, in a bid to reduce the threat of viral spread among doctors and staff.

According to KGMU officials, the system will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for patient management.

“In order to ensure that the doctors and staff involved in the testing and treatment of coronavirus patients are safe, the KGMU will test the suspects and provide treatment to the patients through ‘intelligent patient screening’ and surveillance system,” the KGMU said.

“The Evolko Health Radar will also help us in quick screening of suspected persons. The system will immediately inform the OPD doctors about a suspect of coronavirus,” said Sheetal Verma, nodal-in-charge of the telemedicine unit at KGMU.

The KGMU is the first medical university to start using Artificial Intelligence for patient management during epidemic like coronavirus, Verma added.

As per the KGMU, Health Radar is a system based on AI and machine learning, which will inform the doctors and will help them in providing immediate consultation.

“The technology will help the doctors in collecting the symptoms in suspects in lesser time. With this there will be a significant control on patient to doctor virus spread,” Verma said.

“Under the new system, we will develop an app using an algorithm based on the symptoms coronavirus patients have.

With this, segregation of suspects and non-suspects will be easier. Other than what we used to do before, now the workforce needed for the screening will be reduced to one. Also, the doctors will not need to be physically present with the patient to provide prescription anymore,” Verma told The Indian Express. The system would be operational soon, officials said.

The radar has been set up at hospital’s coronavirus OPD, fever clinic OPD and the new OPD block.

Head of the Medicine Department at KGMU, Prof Virendra Atam, said that the technology would help efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus and the doctors and other staff would not be working under the threat of getting infected.